Greenies Pill Pockets

Six years ago this Sunday, Hudson, Murphy and I walked the final mile from Back Bay Fens to the Boston Common alongside hundreds of friends and hundreds of canine companions who traveled from 21 states to be there that day.

When I started out on the road from Austin, TX, I didn’t have much – just a couple hundred bucks in my pocket and a few friends helping me out. The focus is so intense on each and every step and each and every mile it seemed unfathomable just how far and how long our journey would take us. And we have gone far! And as we celebrate our sixth anniversary the Puppy Up Foundation has achieved so many incredible milestones.

Recently I traveled to Madison for their record breaking year, over 1,100 people, and over a $ 130,000 raised. It’s such an exciting energy to be a part of Team Madison and during a speech by our Scientific Chair, Kai Shiu, said how great it was to be a part of Puppy Up USA. And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s neat.’

But then I thought ‘Our reach is international and all of us really are brought together by a common thread that spans border.’ In many ways I feel like we’re becoming an institution and that’s when it hit me. We are a Puppy Up Nation!

I feel like that at every walk I’ve had the privilege to personally participate in. I am often asked, ‘What are you most proud of?’ And my response has always been, to go from town to town and see how excited the communities are and successful they’ve been putting on walks – that makes me the proudest.’

And that’s why I wanted to share this inspiration with a commemorative T-Shirt to celebrate our 6th anniversary. And as a way to say thanks to everyone who has made this such a successful organization and as a reminder that we all are together in this and we stand in solidarity. You can order a shirt here.